After Waldstadt, Oberreut was the second district to be designed in a forest location. At that time it was built in the Bulach area as a so-called satellite settlement in the southwest of the city. The renovation of Karlsruhe's old town was one of the triggers for the rapid implementation of the construction work. The first tenants moved into the inexpensive apartments in Oberreut, which were primarily intended for large children, in the summer of 1964. Development of the field complex began towards the end of the 1960s, after 5,700 residents lived in Oberreut instead of the planned 4,200 by 1970.

The construction of a tram line connects the district with the city center. In the 1990s, a new district with terraced houses and apartment blocks as well as community facilities was built in three construction phases. Furthermore, a new school center was built and the establishment of businesses and services in Oberreut was encouraged.